State Senate '08: Aghazarian has big cash advantage over Wolk; Strickland leads Jackson in fundraising

In the race for an open State Senate in District 5, where Democrat Mike Machado is term-limited, Republican Assemblyman Greg Aghazarian had a big fundraising lead: his $501,642 warchest is substantially more than the $108,263 Democratic Assemblywoman Lois Wolk has in the bank, according to campaign finance records filed with the Secretary of State on Monday.

Republicans view the 5th district as one of their best chances for a pickup. The San Joaquin-Solano-Yolo-Sacramento seat went Democratic in 2004 by a narrow 52%-48% margin.

The hotly contested 3rd District seat has been shaken up by incumbent Carole Migden’s $350,000 fine by the Fair Political Practice Commission. But according to the Secretary of State’s office, Migden maintains the largest war chest in the contest with $1,019,007.94. Democratic challengers Joe Nation and Mark Leno have $203,280.29 and $180,729.01 in the bank, respectively.

In the 19th district, where GOP State Sen. Tom McClintock is term-limited and running for a congressional seat in Northern California, Republican Tony Strickland has $509,824; his Democratic opponent, Hannah-Beth Jackson, has $209,860.

Filling the seat of “termed out” Sen. Sheila Kuehl in the District 23 will be no easy task. Already, the district is slated for a well-funded primary fight between former Assemblywoman Fran Pavley, endowed with a $680,175.21 campaign fund and current Assemblyman Lloyd Levine who has raised $359,862.02.

With Sen. Edward Vincent also reaching his term limit, the 25th district Senate seat up is for grabs. The Democratic primary field here is crowded with big names and big war chests. Leading the fundraising competition is former Assemblyman Jerome Horton with $233,291.24, followed by veteran politician Mervyn Dymally with $213,498.39. Dymally served in the Assembly from 1962 to 1966, became the first black state senator in 1966; and served as the first and only black lieutenant governor and a six-term congressman before returning to the Assembly in 2002.

Despite having only $83,920.46 in his campaign account, former Assemblyman Roderick “Rod” Wright remains a viable contender for the nomination. Also in the race is three-time Gardena City Councilmember Steven Bradford with $15,242.11 in his war chest.